


Sober Up

by demonsushi01



Series: Klance Trope Month 2k20 [20]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drunk confessions, Lions were sacrificed instead, M/M, POV Lance (Voltron), Past Allura/Lance (Voltron), Past Relationship(s), Post-Season/Series 08, alien alcohol, because that makes much more sense honestly, but without Allura dying, past Keith/Random unnamed character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24300700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonsushi01/pseuds/demonsushi01
Summary: Day 20. Drunk ConfessionsLance loses contact with Keith after saving the entire known universe. He tries and makes a bit of a life for himself and here comes Keith again. Lance offers up his spare room for Keith and they get drunk one day and all their old feelings come out.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Klance Trope Month 2k20 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727086
Comments: 6
Kudos: 100





	Sober Up

**Author's Note:**

> There was one more additional thing I wanted to tag but since it's more subtext than anything (blink and you miss it situation) and not like a _major_ plot point/issue I didn't feel comfortable in tagging it. 
> 
> To put it simply, Trans Lance. 
> 
> It kinda became its own thing while typing and again you would probably miss it, still, it should be at least mentioned here

Five years ago Lance was a Defender of the Universe, a Paladin of Voltron, and in one of the most awkward relationships, he’d ever had. Sure he’s still _considered_ to be a Paladin, but what does that really mean when Pidge is off training the next generation? What does it really mean when the lions were now nothing but tall statues, empty and lifeless since they defeated Honerva. His mind has never been so quiet before. 

Four years ago, he ended things with Allura. It was good for like, the first week, but then everything went to hell in a handbasket and there was just too much going on to build the foundation of a solid relationship. It began to be painfully clear to him the longer it went on that Allura was essentially using him. Not only as a rebound but also to satisfy her curiosities about humans in general. Though to be fair, you could say he was using her as well. He was wanting a relationship, and he had some feelings for her so it was good enough for him. Though once with her, he wasn’t sure if this was _really_ what he’d been dreaming of.

Four years ago was the last time he really had any time to see Keith. Keith made himself scarce after the end of it all. But somewhere between wondering if a proposal would make things work between him and Allura and breaking up with her two months after that thought, Keith had vanished. Not even Shiro knew how to get a hold of him.

Well, at least for a year, because _three_ years ago Shiro was married and Keith had been there as his best man. Hunk and Pidge cried the whole day, Coran watched everything with curious eyes, and Allura caught the boutonniere that Shiro tossed into the crowd. She held it carefully in her palms and glanced at Lance for an explanation of the jeers tossed her way. Keith stared at him as well and that was the last meaningful time he’d seen him. 

Two years ago he moved off Earth. Being in space for as long as he had made the planet seem far too small. He was known everywhere he went and while it was fine at first, it wore on him. Now, less than a year later he’d finally gotten a place of his own secured. The planet’s residents are fairly humanoid, diurnal with one sun and twenty-six hour rotation, and they were kind enough to respect his privacy when he would ask for it. 

They acknowledge he’d done something great but understood he was just a person as well. And once getting a place, a job working alongside Hunk even, he sent a line out to his fellow teammates. Shiro responded with an apology, citing he would be busy with his husband at the time and Lance understood. Hunk, of course, agreed to meet up and Pidge was quick to get themselves on a ship headed out that way. There was the usual radio silence from Keith.

Pidge slides into the booth across from Lance at one of the local places that Hunk appreciates about a week later. Lance smiles brightly, though not as much as Hunk does. And when he makes a teasing comment, Hunk kicks him under the table.

“What’s up, nerds.” Pidge greets. “Haven’t seen you in a while, Lance.” They get comfortable against Hunk’s side.

“I think the last time I saw you, was on Hunk’s video call. Can’t believe he actually paused mid dough-kneading.”

“I was letting it rest! Resting is an important part of making bread!” Hunk nudges him under the table again.

“A real bun in the oven.” Lance snickers and yelps with Hunk’s third kick.

“Wow.” Pidge rolls their eyes. “But I should have expected you to move out here.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lance pouts. They wave their hand to Hunk and then to him and back again.

“Hunk’s here.”

“You make it sound like Hunk and I are together.” 

“I know you’re not.” They shrug and lean a bit more against Hunk.

Lance gets to tell the pair about his new place and how he’s happy where he is finally. It feels like old times back on the castle ship talking over food and teasing one another. Halfway through dinner Hunk’s eyes go wide at something over Lance’s shoulder. He turns and sees _Keith_ making his way over.

Lance finds himself getting up out of the booth before he really processes it. One second he’s in the booth with Hunk and Pidge, the next he’s got his arms around Keith’s shoulders. There are a few things Lance notices. One, Keith’s hair has gotten very long, long enough to warrant him pulling it into a loose tail that drapes over his left shoulder. Two, he smells _great_ , better than Lance could ever recall. And number three, Keith’s now _much_ taller than the last time he saw him. 

At Shiro’s wedding, Keith was probably a few inches taller than him, much to his displeasure. But now? He comes up to Keith’s shoulder and that makes his stomach flip around at the thought. He also catches the faintest lilac markings along his jaw and neck that remind him of Krolia’s. Though it’s so faint he isn’t sure if it’s a trick of the light.

The clothes he’s wearing seem like a mix of different cultures. Human from the jacket he wears, Altean based on its shapes but Galran because of the color pallet. It's snug over his body and Lance wouldn’t hesitate to believe if there was some form of armor within them. 

“Hey, Lance.” Keith gives him the smallest quirk of his lips. Lance drags him over to the booth they’re at. Keith looks _hesitant_.

“You’re looking good.” He smiles and Keith snorts softly in response.

“Dude, we haven’t seen you since Shiro’s wedding!” Hunk stares at him in awe.

“Yeah, what the fuck?! You disappeared!” Pidge reaches over and slaps at his arm. 

“I… I know.” Keith glances away. Lance pushes him into the booth and slides in next to him. 

“Yeah man, you haven’t even messaged us back.” He frowns.

“I was starting to think you were eaten or murdered or something,” Hunk admits.

“I’ve just been busy with… other things.” 

“Like?” Pidge crosses their arms. 

“Mostly Galra stuff.” Keith glances out at the people in the restaurant at the mention. No one reacts, they were some of the few that had been on the fringes and mainly saw refugees during the Empire’s height.

“You don’t _get_ to be vague.” 

“Fair.” Keith chuckles. He looks tired beyond his years, lost in a way Lance has never seen before. 

“You look like shit,” Pidge says. Keith looks over at them.

“Thanks.” 

“What’s up?” Lance asks with concern

“Currently?” Keith raises a brow. “I think I just got divorced?” 

“Div-Divorced!?” Hunk looks at him.

“You have to be _married_ first!” Pidge hisses.

“You were married?” Lance whispers, his chest tightening strangely.

“Technically?” 

“How do you not know?”

“I mean, we did everything we were supposed to, but I guess I don’t know how to properly forge a permanent bond or something.” Keith shrugs his shoulders as an explanation. “He got tired of it always being temporary, and we ended things.”

“I don’t think I understand.” Pidge furrows their brows.

“Essentially I was marrying him? Because Galra culture rules and such, but since it wouldn’t be a _lasting_ mark it was kinda like an on again-off again situation.”

“You were Galra married?” 

“It’s… weird.” Keith sighs and then turns to Lance. “But this isn’t about me. I’m glad you’re getting your life together.” He smiles.

“What’s that mean?” Lance raises a brow.

“Nothing really.” He shrugs.

“Are you going to stay here long?” Hunk asks.

“I don’t know, really. Kinda’ve been looking for a place to go I guess. I was about to drop in on Shiro but I hear he’s touring space around with his husband and diplomacy with Allura or something?” 

“Yeah, they’ve been checking to see if anyone needs additional assistance and providing it where they can.” Pidge nods.

“Sounds like him.” Keith chuckles.

“Well, if you _need_ a place to crash,” Hunk looks over to Lance who tilts his head. “Lance _does_ have a spare room.” 

“You do?” Keith furrows his brows in confusion. Lance laughs nervously.

“Well yeah. It was cheaper to get an extra room for some reason?”

“That’s cool.” 

“I’m staying at Hunk’s until I go back, which honestly I’ve been needing a break.” Pidge groans and tilts their head back. “The greenhorns are just _so_ much.” 

“Ooo, at Hunk’s place huh?” Lance teases. Keith yelps and Lance cackles as he realizes Hunk must’ve kicked his shin instead of Lance’s.

Keith doesn’t order food, just sits there, and seemingly enjoys the talking. They pay for their food and Keith follows them out.

“Wow, you’re taller than me now.” Hunk whistles. 

“I think I’m six-eleven now?” Keith curls in on himself, hands tucked into his jacket pockets. 

“That’s so unfair!” Pidge whines. 

“I mean, I’m going through a whole second puberty because of it.” Keith sighs. “It sucks just as much the first time around.”

“Tell me about it.” Lance rolls his eyes and nods.

“Well, this is me.” Keith stops by a beaten hovercraft. It’s nothing at all like the one he had back on Earth and Lance wonders what became of it. 

“Don’t lose touch with us again.” Hunk steps over and pulls Keith down into a hug, spinning them around until he can look at Lance around him. ‘Ask him’ He mouths and then pats Keith’s back. Pidge hugs him too barely at chest height for Keith.

“Yeah man, I don’t wanna lose you to space.” 

“I’ll try not to,” Keith promises. Pidge also looks expectantly at Lance who sighs softly. 

It’s not like he _doesn’t_ want Keith to be with him. Perhaps it’s a bit selfish of him, but he had wanted the place to himself a bit longer. Though the sight of Keith’s craft, the fact he can spot a duffle bag that he’s fairly sure the guy’s living out of, and the begging from his two friends get to him. He _does_ care about Keith and he doesn’t want to lose him for another two to three years again.

“Keith, come on. You can stay with me at my place.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You’re not.”

“I mean, I’m sure there’s like a hostel or something I can stay at.”

“Oh my god. Keith. My place is free.”

“So is a park bench, technically.” Keith points out.

“No! You’re not sleeping on a park bench!” Lance crosses his arms.

It takes an amazing amount of convincing from everyone to get Keith to agree to stay at Lance’s place. Then it’s a drive over and giving a tour to his guests. Pidge is impressed by the size, which means they’ll definitely be impressed by Hunk’s size. Which is a joke he makes only to be elbowed by a bright-red Hunk. Keith awkwardly thumbs the strap of his duffle bag and Lance shows off the mostly empty extra room he has.

Keith promises to be gone as soon as he finds a place to call his own. But then one month passes. And one month becomes two. Two become three. Three starts to move into four and Lance gets the guy a damn mattress at this point. Sleeping bags on hard floors aren’t the nicest of things to do for extended periods of time after all. 

He and Hunk slip it in on one of the rare occasions Keith’s out doing a random handyman job that’s really picked him back up. They’re quick to put the bed frame together and slam a mattress on that bitch. To be fair, it’s Lance’s old one since he’d been planning on getting something new for a while now, but at least it's in good condition and he knows for a fact there are no bugs on it.

He even makes sure to roll out Keith’s sleeping bag on top of the mattress. Keith comes home smelling like gasoline and oil, fingers stained black. Lance pushes him into the bathroom before he touches anything making sure the guy showered first. Keith comes back out with clean hands and a towel.

Lance finds his eyes following the dips and curves of Keith’s body. So instead of letting his mind continue to wander down the avenue of bad thoughts, he decides to counter it with a different bad thought. 

“The place Hunk and I volunteer at gave us a bunch of fancy alien alcohol.” He leans against the doorframe to Keith’s room and watches the guy enter his room. He gasps softly when he sees his new bed and glances over to Lance. 

“Wait, when did you --”

“So wanna do shots of alien vodka?” He asks over him. Keith looks between his new bed and Lance before shaking his head with a small smile.

“Sure. If you tell me how this bed got here.” Keith walks into his room and groans when he realizes Hunk and Lance had put his clothes away in the closet while they were at it. He gets his clean clothes off the hangers and looks at Lance expectantly.

“I needed a new one and you looked like you were dying by sleeping on the floor every night.” Lance shrugs. Keith hums and accepts this answer. He pulls on fresh clothes and Lance rolls off the doorframe.

“Where do you want to get wasted?”

“Anywhere with you,” Keith responds so smoothly and it has him shivering. Lance grabs the bottles and hops onto Keith’s new bed with them. 

“Then here, in case it knocks us out.” Lance offers. 

“I’ll get the trash can from the bathroom then.” Keith chuckles, leaving and returning with it. 

“Shit, I should have had you get the shot glasses.” He sighs. 

“Weaksauce, we die like men.” Keith takes one of the bottles and opens it up.

“You won’t.”

“Bet.” Keith chuckles and takes a hearty swig from the bottle. He makes a face but hands it over to Lance.

“How is it?” He asks. 

“Well, I’ve tasted far worse.”

“Like what?”

“Gas for one.”

“Gas? Like, from the 2000s? How even?”

“It wasn’t Earth gas.” Keith laughs.

“Then?” He asks and takes a smaller sip out of the bottle. It’s certainly… _something_. He can’t tell if it’s unpleasant or not but it’s certainly bitter on his tongue and burns his throat. 

“Nah, nah, nah, none of that pussyfoot shit.” 

“Pus-- what?”

“Big sips, big boy.” Keith nudges him.

“Fine!” Lance growls and tilts his head back, taking at least two large swallows.

“Impressive.” Keith chuckles. Lance coughs and sputters, passing it to Keith.

“Ugh, that’s awful.”

“How much do you think we need to drink to get buzzed?” Keith asks looking at the bottle and then takes a few more chugs.

“I dunno but we got three bottles here, counting that one,” Lance tells him. 

It turns out, it’s much stronger than either of them were anticipating. A quarter of the way through the first bottle they are very much drunk. Though it doesn’t exactly stop them from trying to finish it off.

“Did you miss me?” Lance asks him, staring at the bottle. 

“Of course I did. Missed all y'all.” Keith paces himself more now, sipping slowly from it. Lance shifts, resting his head on Keith’s shoulder.

“What happened? The marriage thing.”

“Galra form these mate bonds via like, neck biting during sex? I’d bite him and all, but it was more like a hickey than anything.” He hums, passing Lance the bottle. “So they’d fade and so would the little bond made. He hated it really.” 

“Why didn’t you just bite him then?” Lance sips.

“It didn’t… feel right? I liked him sure, but honestly? I think he was just more of a distraction than anything else.” 

“I feel you. ‘Lura and I were the same. She wanted to know about humans, I just wanted to accomplish every young boy’s dream of being with a princess.” He pauses. “Or well, every boy’s dream if they liked girls at least.” 

“I was gonna say, I was _way_ more into the knights that’d come to save her.”

“Oh totally.” Lance passes the bottle back.

“So what happened?”

“Hmm?”

“With you two?”

“Dude, we broke up ages ago.” Lance snickers.

“I guess I just thought you’d get back together or something.”

“Nah. She was nice and pretty, but wasn’t what I wanted.” Lance hums. Keith takes another draw from the bottle and hands it over.

“What were you wanting then?”

“Honestly?” 

“Yeah.”

“...You.” Lance looks up at him.

“What?” Keith pulls away to look at Lance properly

“I wanted you. For you to stop me from making that mistake of dating her. For you to tell me I was _worth_ it. For you to _choose_ me first.” Lance runs his hand through his hair. “But you did what you _always do_. You went quiet and let me fuck myself over and _ran away_.”

“I -- I didn’t run away.” Keith shakes his head.

“Keith, you fucked off the face of the universe for _three years_ and we had _no_ clue if you were even alive.”

“That’s not --”

“Was it worth it?”

“I don’t under--”

“You got on-again, off-again married to some rando we don’t know for who knows how long, and you never bothered to even _read_ our damn messages?” Lance can feel the well of tears springing up to his eyes.

“That’s --”

“God my brain has never been so _empty_ and quiet without Blue or Red poking in my head and you were gone and I had no one to talk to all over again!” He rubs his eyes.

“Again?”

“You ran away from us to the Blades and everyone was always busy doing their own thing _but_ me!”

“...I didn’t run away to the Blades, Lance.”

“Then why the _fuck_ did you leave?”

“For you!”

“For _me!?_ ”

“Six paladins, five lions, _one paladin too many_.” Keith reminds him.

“So you just left.”

“I made a choice. You deserved to stay.”

“That wasn’t _your_ choice to make!” Lance pokes his chest. 

“I was the leader, it _was_ my choice. I chose for you to stay where you were needed.”

“And then nearly killed yourself after _months_ of radio silence from you! Why do you think we were all so fucking _scared_ when you disappeared?”

“...I’m sorry.”

“You ran away.”

“...I did.”

“ _Why_?”

“Because I --” Keith sighs, tugs on the end of his ponytail and groans. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you and Allura getting together! And in the Quantum Abyss I had seen things from the future, do you know what I saw?”

“What?” Lance glares.

“I saw you had a wonderful, little, _happy fucking family_ with her! It tore me to pieces, Lance!” Keith growls. “It dug so far under my skin that it was all I could see.” 

“Well fuck your future vision! It was wrong!” Lance crosses his arms. 

“How do you know huh? Maybe you’ll get back with her again!”

“Like _hell,_ I would!”

“Oh really?”

“We’re… not compatible…” Lance’s anger suddenly deflates. Keith blinks, confused at the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

“Not… compatible?”

“Don’t make me say it.” Lance sighs, pulling his legs up and resting his chin on his knees. Keith looks him over and it’s easy to ignore for the most part. 

“Oh right, sorry,” Keith says.

“So whatever happy family you saw, it wasn’t ours. Probably won’t even _be_ mine, to begin with.” He takes a breath, holds it for five seconds, and releases it slowly. “I’m dealing with that on my own right now though.” 

“...Lance.”

“Can we go back to yelling at each other? That felt better.” He rubs his eyes. Keith tilts his head back and it thunks against the wall.

“I can’t have kids either.” He says, catching Lance off guard. 

“What?” He looks over at Keith.

“I was talking with Matt and some of the other rebels and, well to make a long story short, they figured it was a possibility I was sterile because I’m _half-_ human.” Keith stares at the ceiling.

“...And you are?”

“Yeah.” He closes his eyes. “It’s fine though. I’d probably be a shitty dad anyway.”

“I think you’d be a good dad.” Lance turns to face him properly. Keith looks over at him and they stare at each other in silence for a few moments. 

“...I like you.” Keith whispers. 

“Do you?”

“A lot. ‘S why I hated you being with her.”

“Then you should have stopped me sooner.”

“I couldn’t. I wanted you to be happy. Even if it meant being with someone else.” 

“...And if I didn’t want to be?”

“What do you mean?”

“God, I already said. I _like_ you and I _wanted_ you to do something. I wanted a sign of something to show you were interested in me, but you just came back colder than before.” Lance pouts. “I kept thinking I did something wrong.”

“You didn’t,” Keith tells him. 

“...Then? What do we do now?”

“First, sober up.”

“Obviously.” Lance nods.

“Then we come back to the fact we both mutually like each other.” 

“We’re gonna forget.” 

“Nope.” Keith gets up and Lance whines. He digs around until he finds a pad of paper and a pen. 

“What are you doing?”

“Leaving us a note.” Keith hops back onto the bed and writes a quick letter down.

“We should both sign it.” Lance decides. “That way we both agree to it.”

“Yeah.” Keith nods, signing the bottom of the page and handing it to Lance. He does his best attempt at his name but it’s hard when everything is moving slightly.

“Let me just,” Keith takes it back and sets it on the nightstand. “There.” He nods at it and then tosses the pen to the floor with a mumble. Lance copies him and kicks the empty bottle to the floor. They both laugh when it doesn’t break.

“Hey, Keith?” Lance curls up against his side.

“Yeah?”

“I like you.” His eyes feel heavy.

“I like you too.” Keith hums, shifting and holding Lance better.

**Author's Note:**

> Me originally: They drank two bottles and --  
> My wife (who has drank alcohol before): NO THAT WILL KILL THEM  
> Me (who has never drank alcohol): Oh shit, really?
> 
> Oops lol
> 
> Feel free to drop me a line here or over at demon-sushi at Tumblr, I do my best to respond to every comment <3


End file.
